Track Listing

1. The concept
2. Satan
3. December
4. What you do to me
5. I don't know
6. Star sign
7. Metal baby
8. Pet rock
9. Sidewinder
10. Alcoholiday
11. Guiding star
12. Is this music?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17847 in Music
• Released on: 2001-01-15
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Before this astonishing album, Teenage Fanclub had released a couple of pleasant singles and a whole load of generic, indie dishwater. In the middle of 1991, they went into a Liverpool studio, with Don Fleming producing, and emerged with a masterpiece. Bandwagonesque is, of course, hugely derivative--difficult to make a record with two guitars, a bass and drums that isn't. More than a few reviews at the time suggested that Bandwagonesque had gone a step further, into the realm of pastiche and plagiarism, especially in regard to Big Star. Given time, however, it became clear that Bandwagonesque wasn't a problem even on those terms--it was at least as good a Big Star album as Big Star ever made. And on its own merits, Bandwagonesque is so near perfect as to make no odds. It contains stackheeled glam stomps that Slade would have been proud of ("What You Do To Me"), exquisitely lachrymose ballads ("December"), endlessly quotable lyrical couplets ("There's a side of me unknown/Big deal", from "Starsign") and gorgeous, ringing electric guitars and still more gorgeous Byrds-esque vocal harmonies (the whole album). Bandwagonesque is the sort of album that makes you wish you owned a convertible. Utterly unimpeachable, work of genius, etc, and Teenage Fanclub have since made at least three albums which are even better. --Andrew Mueller

CD Description
Teenage Fanclub emerged from a fraternal milieu centred on the Scottish town of Bellshill. A common love of pop tradition bound the quartet together and elements of their mentors abound on this collection. Neil Young and Big Star are obvious reference points, but the Fannies are not merely Byrds copyists. Dizzy melodies, long-hair guitar and unpretentiousness abound, the set's attraction ultimately residing in its cumulative, carefree charm. An impishness enhances the entireproceedings; only the churlish can resist its obvious attractions. Since this release they have been sorely taken for granted and have become an institution rather than stars. Everybody loves them but not enough to buy them.

Customer Reviews

Derivative, but still the most perfect pop album ever made
As a Joy Division and Nick Cave fan, this isn't the kind of album I'm meant to like. However, this album simply contains more perfect pop songs than any other album. It is highly derivative of the Beatles, Byrds, Big Star, Faces, Slade, Stone Roses, but it actually adds to all to its sources to produce the perfect retrospective of all that has been good about pop over the previous 30 years (now 40 years !). In particular, The Concept must have the best opening lines of any song "She wears denim whereever she goes, says she's going to buy a record by the Status Quo". "What you do to me" is one of the simplest 3-line songs endlessly repeated but endlessly catchy - it puts an ear-to-ear grin on my face and makes me remember the joy of falling in love for the first (and second, and third ...) time.

The second half of the album is simply flawless - Starsign, Metal Baby, Pet Rock, Sindwinder, Alcoholiday, Guiding Star and Is this music is probably the greatest sequence of songs ever put together by any band - there simply isn't a flaw in any of them. Alcoholiday encapsulates the enjoyment of completely losing control and responsibility, and getting f***ed by some complete stranger. Guiding Star sums up the feeling of hero-worship that all of us have at some point felt, and felt half-ashamed of, but still succumbed to. No matter that the object of Norman Blake's hero worship (Alex Chilton) was not a very nice man.

What really stands out over the whole album is the Norman Blake's raw vocals, the jangling and slightly delayed chords, the quality of the lyrics, subject matter (there's simply no substitute for teenage kicks when it comes to pop song lyrics), and the fact that it sounds like the kind of album the Beatles should have made, but never did.

If they have school discos in heaven, then Bandwagonesque is the first disc on God's playlist.

vital and unbelievably exciting
I got this album about eighteen months ago, and while I will admit that I don't play it anywhere near as much as I should I am always completely destroyed by it everytime I hear it. the warm fuzzy rock that the fannies have produced here is such a leap on from their first album and still sounds like their most vital piece of work (even though it is probably not their best). The three songwriters (messsers blake, mcginley and love) are all present and offer superb tunes. Blakes glorious "concept" is joy and a brilliant album opener and descends into a heavenly cascade of guitars "ahhh's" and noise..mmmm. he also contributes the excellent alcoholiday which must rank up their with the best fannies tunes and comes complete with more wonderul backup vocals (you know the bit). But this album really seems to be Gerry love's. He contributes four stone cold fannies classics in "december", "is this music?", "guiding star" and the stupendous "starsign". The last mentioned song builds up to a heavenly climax of guitars before exploding into the bands most explosive condensed five minutes of brilliance. I am running out of superlatives really, but this album is a must for beatles, byrds, travis, weezer fans so make sure that you buy this, and the rest of their albums. Oh yeah, never listen to anyone telling you that thirteen isn't any good cause it might even be better than this...but that's another story.

Shivers down the spine
I got this album in 1991 on a pre-release. Listening to it then I couldn't believe that a band had made such a gorgeous timeless collection of music. I have had to buy this FIVE times now due to wearing it out or giving it away in moments of elated altruism. Live, the band still pull a few of these songs out, and despite making about six albums since, they have not bettered it, well maybe close with Grand Prix, but THIS IS THE ONE. Stop reading and buy it... or come and see me and I'll give you mine!